Women's Views on News |
- Not in my name, say faith leaders
- Exhibition: Emily Carr at Dulwich
- Volunteer writers wanted
- Hollaback in Belfast
| Not in my name, say faith leaders Posted: 07 Oct 2014 06:09 AM PDT A delegation of faith leaders at the United Nations has issued a rousing call to action on sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. The declaration, issued on the sidelines of the 69th session of the UN General Assembly, urged world leaders to uphold these rights and to ensure they are reflected in development plans being prepared for 2015. All of the faith-based organisations represented at the event have a long history of working with vulnerable communities. Bishop Julio Murray of the Anglican Church in Panama, who is also the president of the Ecumenical Committee in Panama and former president of the Latin American and Caribbean Council of Churches, said the churches he works with have reached a consensus "that we will walk hand-in-hand to struggle and fight against all situations that have to do with [opposition to] sexual and reproductive [health and reproductive] rights." Along with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), his organisation has produced educational materials for schools and churches “making people aware and conscious of the sexual and reproductive rights that we have,” he said. They have also carried out an assessment in 11 countries of people's awareness of these rights and of countries' efforts to safeguard them. Buddhist Global Relief, to give another example, works with people living with HIV and supports survivors of trafficking and sexual exploitation. And, as Zainah Anwar, the director of Musawah, the Global Movement for Equality and Justice in the Muslim Family, said: "It is so wonderful to see so many Muslim women today standing up and demanding that there has to be change, there has to be equality, and justice for Muslim women." 'A Call to Action: Faith for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Reproductive Rights' repudiates abuses, often thought to be based in religion, that undermine human rights. As we stand together under the auspices of the United Nations, we, people of faith, representatives of diverse faith-based development organizations, theological and other education centers and ecumenical bodies, recognize our role as cultural agents of change and providers of social services at the community, national, regional and global levels. We acknowledge our responsibility to safeguard the dignity and human rights of all people with our actions, our words and through our respective platforms. We note – and are grateful for – the many achievements since the establishment of the Millennium Development Goals. We stand today, facing critical challenges. Too many of our communities still suffer the indignities of stigma, discrimination, violence and multiple forms of injustice. When such violations happen in the name of religion, culture, or tradition, we are aggrieved and hurt, as well as challenged to respond. Not in our name should any mother die while giving birth. Not in our name should any girl, boy, woman or man be abused, violated, or killed. Not in our name should a girl child be deprived of her education, be married, be harmed or abused. Not in our name should anyone be denied access to basic health care, nor should a child or an adolescent be denied knowledge of and care for her/his body. Not in our name should any person be denied their human rights. We affirm that sexual and reproductive health are part of human rights, and as such, must be guaranteed by governments. We note in particular the importance of preventing gender-based discrimination, violence and harmful practices; upholding gender justice; ensuring that every pregnancy is wanted and that every birth is safe; providing age-appropriate sexuality education; promoting the health, education and participation of youth and adolescents; preventing, treating and caring for people with HIV/AIDS; supporting family planning; and respecting the human body. We hold these matters to be necessary and relevant for a true transformation of our societies, and central to the sustainability of any development agenda. We underline, and call for deliberate attention to the importance of strategic partnerships between the United Nations system and faith-based organizations, in collaboration with civil society organizations to facilitate dialogue and implementation around the sustainable development goals, and uphold human dignity in all conditions of life. Therefore, as the United Nations convenes our governments to consider what the next global development priorities should be, we, people of faith, call upon the United Nations system and Member States, to ensure that sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights be made central to the Post 2015 sustainable development agenda. Click here to see the names of the signatories. |
| Exhibition: Emily Carr at Dulwich Posted: 07 Oct 2014 04:30 AM PDT
Gathering together her paintings of the aboriginal settlements she encountered during her travels up the West Coast of Canada and her formidable landscapes and seascapes, the show, at Dulwich Picture Gallery, exemplifies Carr's life-long artistic evolution and the eventual discovery of a freedom in style that secured her position as one of Canada's best loved artists. In challenging circumstances Carr's success as both an artist and a celebrated author challenged the status quo, with Georgia O'Keeffe calling her a "darling of the women's movement." A pioneer of modernism, fully aware of international movements in art such as Fauvism, Post-Impressionism and Cubism, Carr was fascinated by the indigenous culture of British Columbia. She immersed herself in the people and landscape and drew upon both for inspiration and subject matter. ‘From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia’ presents a focused selection of more than 140 works and indigenous artefacts as well as the recently discovered illustrated journal, ‘Sister and I in Alaska’, in which Carr documented her pivotal 1907 trip up and down the Northwest Coast. The exhibition follows a dramatic journey from darkness to light, beginning with Carr's dark and rhythmic forest scenes including Totem and Forest, a large and brooding work, and culminating with the euphoric skyscapes and seascapes Carr painted towards the end of her career, including 'Untitled (Seascape)'. Also on display are her sketches, the 'momentary records' she left behind in her trunk. These include landscape studies as well as notations made on her visits to native communities and also museums, where she furthered her study of indigenous art. These compositional sketches reveal the rigour of her process and the determination Carr had not only in researching and documenting but also in practicing and developing her artistic style. "Working on Canada's West Coast in relative isolation, away from the wellsprings of European culture, Emily Carr's determined progress as an artist, travelling halfway across the world to San Francisco, London and Paris to improve her considerable skills, makes for an inspiring story of driven creativity, against the odds" said Sackler Director and co-curator of the show Ian Dejardin. "Her passionate engagement with both Northwest Coast indigenous culture and European modernism produced a body of work that is unique, rooted in the forests and landscapes of British Columbia. "Powerful and evocative, her late images of shimmering sea, living forest and ecstatic skies are a pinnacle of Canadian landscape painting. "Her story is one of extraordinary determination which we will bring in to view with this show. "This exhibition will be a revelation to British and Canadian audiences alike." Carr's paintings will be accompanied by more than 30 indigenous objects arranged to follow a parallel trajectory from winter feasting to summer activity. The display includes masks, baskets, feast bowls and ceremonial objects by Haida, Kwakwaka'wakw, Nuu-chah-nulth, Salish, Tsimshian and Tlingit makers drawn from the historic holdings of British Museum, Pitt Rivers Museum, Horniman Museum and Gardens and Murderme Collection, London. Emily Carr was born in Victoria, British Columbia, in 1871. She studied in San Francisco between 1890-92, and in 1899 she travelled to England where she trained at the Westminster School of Art and was involved with the St. Ives group. She lived in France in 1910 where the work of the Fauves influenced the colourism of her work and she came into contact with J D Fergusson and Frances Hodgkins. Discouraged by her lack of artistic success on her return to Canada, she came close to giving up art altogether. However, her contact with the Group of Seven in 1927 resurrected her interest in art, and in the summer of 1928 she made another trip north to visit First Nations villages. In the 1930s she began devoting most of her attention to landscape, particularly the forest, as subject matter. These works express her profound identification with the landscape of the province and her belief that nature was a tangible expression of God. In 1937, Carr suffered her first heart attack, which marked the beginning of a decline in her health and a lessening of the energy required for painting. She began to devote more time to writing, an activity she had commenced many years before with the encouragement of Ira Dilworth, an educator and CBC executive. Her first book, Klee Wyck, a collection of short stories based on her experiences with Aboriginal people, was published in 1941, a year that also effectively marked the end of her painting career. The book won a Governor General's Award and was followed by the publication of six other books, four of them posthumously. She died in 1945. Printed in more than 20 languages, they are today known in many parts of the world. All of them were autobiographical in nature, portraying a girl or a woman of enormous spirit and individuality. Written in a simple, unpretentious style, they quickly won her the popular audience that eluded her more difficult paintings, though in the end it is primarily as a painter that she has won critical acclaim. This exhibtion, From the Forest to the Sea: Emily Carr in British Columbia, at Dulwich Picture Gallery, runs from 1 November 2014 – 8 March 2015. Tickets can be pre-booked online. |
| Posted: 07 Oct 2014 03:10 AM PDT
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| Posted: 07 Oct 2014 02:09 AM PDT
Ask most women about street harassment and straight away they'll be able to recall at least one instance when they've attracted unwanted attention making their way from A to B. Or several. Street harassment is quite simply, "unwelcome or unwanted verbal, non-verbal, physical or visual conduct based on sex or of a sexual nature which occurs with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of a person." Examples of street harassment include: comments about someone's appearance, gender, sexual orientation, etc; vulgar gestures; sexually explicit comments (e.g., "Hey baby, I'd like a piece of that"); leering; whistling; barking; kissing noises; following someone; flashing someone or exposing oneself; blocking someone's path; sexual touching or grabbing (e.g., touching someone's legs, breasts or butt); or public masturbation. A movement against street harassment, Hollaback!, is gaining traction across the world. Branches have taken root in over seventy cities. The Belfast outpost was launched in 2013 by co-directors Sharlene McGee and Helen McBride, who wanted to make a difference to the lives of local women. McBride experienced street harassment from an early age and believes the problem is more pervasive in our society than many people realise. "You start chatting with women about street harassment and they will chime in with their own experiences of it," she said. "Even young women of about 14/15 will have stories. "Sadly, it also seems to be big problem for LGBT individuals in Northern Ireland. "Street harassment has a whole spectrum of negative effects," she continued. "At the bottom level, victims may be left feeling inconvenienced and annoyed, but at top level they may end up being so intimidated that they fear entering public spaces. "I think many of the people who are carrying out the harassment don't realise the consequences of what they're doing. "There is a real disconnect between the harasser and the harassed." Hollaback! fights back by encouraging women – and men – to share their stories of street harassment online to help draw attention to the issue. Fellow posters can then provide support. The movement also tries to educate harassers about the effects of their behaviour and encourage bystanders to intervene when appropriate. The website for the Belfast Hollaback! branch has already published many local women's stories. New submissions are always welcome. Click here to learn how you can get involved. According to McBride, sharing an experience of street harassment can be cathartic. "It can help individuals feel that they've taken some of the power back," she said. "Plus, the support provided by other visitors makes you realise you are not alone. "Street harassment is something that needs to be talked about so we can recognise the severity of the problem and tackle it effectively." Activists for Hollaback! in Belfast have also taken part in campaigning. McBride said, "We've been working with women of all ages and have formed a very productive partnership with HEReNI to reach out to LGBT individuals as well. "At the moment, we're working with NUS-USI to get a Hollaback! presence on university campuses across Northern Ireland. "A recent study found the vast majority of female students across the UK felt unsafe on their campuses. We're trying to change this." Currently a small team of six, Hollaback! Belfast is always on the lookout for more volunteers to assist with its work. The group will continue to help victims of street harassment and encourage the harassers to change their behaviour until the problem is consigned to the past. If you're interested in volunteering or have a question for Hollaback! Belfast, please email them. |
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